"Master Green, are you alright?" Morrisa thought for a while, but she was not sure where to start.
"I’m good but we need to leave, now!" Angele responded quickly as he put down the three fainted wizards. "They’re still alive. Can you wake them up? Hurry."
Wizards were strong enough to survive for a long time in an environment with low oxygen. The energy particles stored in their bodies would help them.
"Got it." Morrisa nodded right away.
Quickly, the three were woken up by Morrisa’s spell.
The sky rumbled again, and the thick clouds were dragged down by the heavy downpour. The visibility outside the shelter was bad and the raindrops were hitting the roof intensely. It sounded like tiny stones hitting a large metal board.
Angele stood by the door quietly. He was thinking while staring at the White Mist Town.
"Thank you for saving me." Hikari’s voice came from behind.
"It’s fine. I noticed the movement through Reyline’s communication rune. That was how I found you," Angele responded in a light tone. "I’ve encountered the ghosts several times. You should’ve listened to my words."
"Reyline?" Hikari hesitated for a second and walked to Angele.
"No, it wasn’t me. My communication rune was not even activated" Reyline stepped out of the shelter and walked to Angele as well. He looked confused.
"We had some food and I went to bed after taking a shower in that building. The next time I woke up, I was inside this wooden shelter." Reyline shook his head slightly. "I slept for a whole day I believe." He looked at the ground as his brows furrowed.
"Hikari told me that you found us in the same grave. Green, are you sure you’re not joking? I believe I was sleeping in the building…"
"It’s not a joke," Hikari interrupted. The experience was terrifying. She did not even know when they were moved into the grave.
Reyline remained silent for a second and continued, "I owe you one, Green."
Angele looked at Reyline. He was surprised that the man swallowed his pride and appreciated the help.
"I have a question. Have you ever heard of the wizard of destiny? It should be a female wizard named Arisma," Angele asked.
Reyline and Hikari traded eye contact, looking confused.
"The wizard of destiny?" Stigma’s voice came from the shelter. He stepped out of the door and walked to the group. "Only the strongest wizards in the central continent will be given a title like that. Where did you find this name, Green?"
The man had a strange expression on his face.
Angele turned around and stared at Stigma.
"From a tombstone. Stigma, there are so many questions I want to ask."
"I don’t know…" Stigma shook his head. "I fainted once when I escaped the town. It felt like someone was following me. I can hear its footsteps, but I can’t see it. I cast my strongest spell but it didn’t work. The wounds are the consequences of my own spell."
Angele narrowed his eyes and kept staring at Stigma. He noticed something different, but the others were still confused about the whole situation.
"It’s fine. Stigma, take us out of here please."
Stigma was trying to understand why Angele was pressuring him. They traded eye contact and decided to not to talk about the truth at the moment.
"Sure." Stigma nodded. "Let’s not waste time."
"Well, what are you trying to hide from us?" Hikari pursed her lips after listening to the conversation.
"Sorry, but I can’t tell you about it right now." Stigma shrugged.
Hikari shrugged as well. "It’s fine. Let’s pack our items and leave."
Reyline did not say anything. He walked straight back to the wooden shelter.
The five wizards packed their items up and left White Mist Town in the rain. They traveled across the Abyss Canyon and headed to the plains.
White Mist Town slowly disappeared from the horizon in the heavy rain.
Stigma was still glancing at the town and he looked a bit depressed.
Reyline was walking at the front, Hikari and Morrisa were in the middle, while Angele and Stigma were at the back.
"Why are you looking at the town? Are you already missing it?" Angele transmitted his words using energy particles.
Stigma glared at Angele and shook his head. "How much do you know?"
"I know everything that you know, I think," Angele responded in a light tone.
The conversation ended there.
The visibility on the road was bad. Angele could barely anything. They were heading in a direction pointed by Stigma.
The wizards all made sure that their energy shields were active.
The rain lightened gradually as time passed.
They found a safe area in a small forest and built a woodshed. Morrisa built a small campfire and the wizards started drying their clothes using Fire energy particles.
Angele and Stigma sat beside the campfire for a while, then left using some random excuses.
The two wizards traded eye contact and nodded slightly.
They walked in two different directions and entered the deep forest.
Angele walked for a while and made sure that no one was following him.
He then stopped and took out that black box from the pouch.
The patterns on the surface of the box had disappeared. Instead, there was a black twisted picture.
It looked like a pair of hands raising up a diamond-shaped crystal. The picture was simple but abstract and it was painted with solid golden lines.
Angele held the box in right hand and put his left hand on the lid.
*PA*
The black box was opened easily.
Inside was a black spinning ball of gas.
‘What else do you want from me?’ A hoarse female voice echoed in Angele’s ears.
He was not surprised about the voice. It seemed like he had already studied the box.
‘Are you sure about this? I’m just a rank 1 dark wizard and you’re a great wizard. I’m also not that talented. I don’t think I can…’ Angele responded calmly.
‘I won’t even approach you if you don’t have the Key of the Shadow…’ The female voice sounded impatient. ‘The battle between me and Arisma lasted for decades and it won’t end just because we’re dead. Arisma found a decent guy to be her inheritor. I need to leave my territory right away. Otherwise, she will ask her student to kill me later. Anyways, you and I are one now. There’s no point in talking about this.’
‘At least tell me your name…or your title.’ Angele pursed his lips.
‘Title? I don’t even care. People will give you a bunch of random titles when you reach a certain level. You want to do research on me and I understand that, but I won’t tell you anything.’
‘Well, I apologize but I don’t want a random person to live in my body if I have the choice.’ Angele chuckled.
‘Kid, you’re lucky. Arisma chose the man named Stigma and I chose you. Only good things will happen. There won’t be any consequences I can assure you. I’ll go have some rest now. Don’t disturb me unless it’s something really important.’
The female voice disappeared.
Angele shook his head. He tried to find out which part of his body was this ‘legend’ living in using many different methods but none worked. The black box was just helping them communicate with each other.
"Arisma, the wizard of destiny…" Angele narrowed his eyes and decided to do some research on that name first.
He had too many secrets to hide but it seemed like the ‘legend’ in his body could not detect the biochip. Angele did not fully trust the words said by that woman.
He tested several times and confirmed that the woman did not notice he was chatting with Zero.
Angele checked the surroundings again and started heading back.
He needed to reconsider the situation.
Stigma’s soul was partially taken over by Arisma. If the voice did not lie to him, Stigma would no longer need to rely on his family. He could walk the same path as the ancient wizards and he would become one of the strongest wizards in the history.
After about fifteen minutes of walk, Angele saw Stigma heading back to the camp as well.
He noticed that Stigma’s Mentality had already doubled, and the man’s mentality wave was much stronger than before.
Angele was surprised. Stigma waved his hands at Angele, but he did not stop.
"Green, don’t get surprised. I know that I’m different now," Stigma said calmly but Angele could see the happiness on his face.
"Are you still the Stigma I know?" Angele narrowed his eyes and questioned in a light tone.
"People will change, Green, just like you and me. But I’m still the one that survived all the challenges with our team."
"What’s your plan now? Head back to your family?"
"No, I’m not strong enough. There are three rank 2 wizards in my family; my father and two elders. I won’t even be allowed to talk in the family meetings with what I have right now." Stigma shook his head.
"Just tell me if you need help." Angele lowered his voice. Stigma took a hit for him back on the airship and Angele considered the man as a friend.
"I will, thanks."
Angele watched Stigma walk to the campfire and he wondered what would happen after Stigma returned to his family.
"My next destination is the city with an air transportation site in the central continent." Angele took a deep breath.
"Good, I haven’t been to a city with live human beings in years," the hoarse female voice suddenly interrupted.